UN Small Arms Process

On 7th November, members States of United Nations at the 67th session of UN General Assembly First committee, voted the Resolution L11 on the Arms Trade Treaty in New York at UN Headquarter. 157 voted in favour, 18 abstentions and Zero vote against. The Resolution mandates Conference on ATT to be held in March 2013. The ATT Resolution was initiated by a group of co-authors including Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan, Kenya and United Kingdom.

IANSA has a presence at UN Headquarters these two weeks to ensure that civil society is strong and visible at the 2012 Review Conference on the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNPoA), taking place from the 27th August to 7th September.

The summaries below provide some highlights of the work of the Review Conference.

IANSA's presence at the Second Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) was launched as three members, Jasmine Nario-Galace (Director, Center for Peace Education, Philippines), Hector Guerra (Network Coordinator, IANSA, Mexico), and Marie-Thérèse Ngandji (Executive Director, Caritas, Gabon) delivered speeches addressing IANSA's review of PoA Implementation so far, and hopes for further progress in the future.

Disarm Domestic Violence

IANSA women in Paraguay are campaigning for a comprehensive law to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women and to include provisions to remove guns from perpetrators in cases of domestic violence.

Footballers Roque Santa Cruz and Salvador Cabañas posed for fans with t-shirts and posters promoting the campaign “Festejá el Fútbol Sin Armas!” (Celebrate Football without Guns!) during a friendly match between Paraguay and Chile in Asunción, Paraguay on 23 June.

The Arms Trade Treaty

Iraqi Organization for Rehabilitating Society and Environment, IANSA member in Karbala, Iraq distributed materials and organised several discussion sessions with university students, teachers and youth groups about the need to refuse gun violence and the dangers of small arms proliferation in communities. Participants declared their support for the Arms Trade Treaty and agreed on the importance of legislation to forbid the circulation of small arms. They called on decision-makers to work with civil society to stop gun violence.

The South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms (SSANSA)organised a roundtable discussion on the ATT. Participants discussed the ATT Chairman’s Draft Paper and put forth various comments, which will be handed over to the South Sudan delegation that will go to the ATT Diplomatic Conference. During the meeting, eight religious leaders signed the Faith-based Declaration on the ATT.

The Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection (IIPDEP), IANSA member in India, and Nav Bharat Nirman Sangh- Hyderabad undertook a range of activities for the Global Week of Action. A seminar was held in Hyderabad, South India, which was attended by many political leaders, intellectuals, youth and policy makers. Participants deliberated on how to curb the menace of SALW and urged the Government of India to take leadership in the ATT Diplomatic Conference.

The Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), IANSA member in Uganda, is holding a workshop the Kapchorwa District in Eastern Uganda with the district task force of the National Focal Point on Small Arms. The objective is to create awareness about gender dimensions on small arms and the ATT, and to educate the participants on Uganda’s gun legislations and gun policies. Marren Akatsa-Bukachi, Executive Director of EASSI also wrote an article the need to include ammunition in the ATT that was published in the daily newspaper the New Visio

In Macedonia, CIVIL, the Centre for Freedom organised a range of activities. They held a conference and film screening of ‘The Story so far’ in Skopje for 100 people and collected signatures to support their recommendations to the Government of Macedonia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including support for the ATT and ways to overcome SALW issues in Macedonia. They also organised a briefing for journalists, focusing on ethnic violence, a major issue in Macedonia, and shared IANSA materials and created their own in Macedonian.

Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence

The morning session was opened by the Deputy High Representative of Disarmament Affairs, Virginia Gamba. She recalled that while over the past years there have been major achievements, member states still faced daunting challenges and hundreds of thousands of lives across the globe were destroyed by guns. Illegal guns created crime, conflict, threatened international aid workers and impeded development.

Manipur Women Survivors Gun Network and Control Arms Foundation of India, IANSA members in India, conducted a one-day community consultation to commemorate the Week of Action. The consultation highlighted survivors’ rights in conflict-ridden zones and called on the government to provide victim assistance and include provisions for it in the ATT. It also included a screening of the film, “The story of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network” and a discussion on the UNPoA. Panelists included several professors from Manipur University and civil society representatives including Mrs.

Iraqi Organization for Rehabilitating Society and Environment, IANSA member in Karbala, Iraq distributed materials and organised several discussion sessions with university students, teachers and youth groups about the need to refuse gun violence and the dangers of small arms proliferation in communities. Participants declared their support for the Arms Trade Treaty and agreed on the importance of legislation to forbid the circulation of small arms. They called on decision-makers to work with civil society to stop gun violence.

ASVOCO, IANSA member in DR Congo, put up 185 banners in schools and universities in North Kivu to raise awareness about gun violence and collect signatures for a petition demanding that the Congolese government ratify the Kinshasa Convention.